Territory



(No Mbdel.)

s. STERNE] PUZZLE. No. 470,717. PatentedMar. 15, 1892.

I I T iii-4 d2 5 5 5 9 0 7 7 O L 5 o 6 4: T s 5 5 7 5 9 it i: o 6 6 o 95 o 8 wrrmzssas INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL STERNE, OF ALBUQUERQUE, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO PHILLIP O. BRANNEN, OF FLAGSTAFF,

ARIZONA TERRITORY.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 470,717, dated March15, 1892.

' Application filed July 20, 1891- Serial No. 400,100. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL STERNE, a resident of Albuquerque, in theTerritory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mathematical Puzzles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same.

cent to which it is placed.

The invention has relation to a mathematical puzzle; and it consists inthe matter hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan; Fig. 2, a bottomplan. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation, and Fig. 4 is aperspective of a detail.

In carrying out my improvement in puzzles I provide nine cubical blocks,each having one of the nine digits on every side. These digits have aspecial arrangement on each'block, as indicated in the illustrationherewith, said arrangement being such that when the several blocks areplaced as indicated twenty-eight triads of figures, each arranged in astraight line and each amounting to fifteen, will be discoverable.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it may be seen that there are twodiagonally-arranged rows, the sum of the figures of each of which equalsfifteen, and also that there are six similar rows parallel to the sidesof the blocks. Fig. 2 shows the same to be true in respect to thefigures on the opposite faces of the same blocks.

The digits marked on Fig. 3 indicate those on the four sides of eachblock, the proper position of each digit being on the side adja Thesefurnish twelve rows, each amounting to fifteen, which twelve added tothe eight on the tops and the eight on the bottoms make twenty-eight inall.

For convenient inspection of the several sides of the blocks I provide aholder which will allow them to be seen from above and below and on thesides. This holder consists of a main stem 1, having preferably a handle2 and three branches. The blocks have perforationsorpassagesepassingthroughthemandthrough their centers from each side. Bymeans of these theblocks can'be placed on the branches 3 in any desiredorder. They are placed sufficiently far apart to permit each block to beindependently turned on its supporting-wire and also-to permit thereading of the figures on the adjacent sides of the three series ofblocks. The wires 3 are made long enough to permit the blocks to besufficiently separated thereon for convenient reading of the figures onthe adjacent sides in each series. The figures on the inner side of thewhole can be inspected without disturbing their order bysuitablyelevating or tilting the holder. The blocks on any wire 3 can be removedand replaced in different order with respect to each other or withrespect to the direction of the sides of one or more of them.

Then the device is in use, if the blocks rest upon a level surface,every side except one of every block can be inspected. By moving theblocks, as stated, any desired change of order can be easily effected.

Preferably the wires 3 will have such size and form with references tothe passages 4 that the cubes will be held from movement by friction. Ifdesired, the branches 3 may be made of spring-Wire and slightly curvedin the direction of theirlength toinsure sufficient friction. In suchcase each wire may be curved or bent at different points.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is- 1. The combination of marked blocks arranged in parallelseries and constituting a puzzle with a holder having several parallelrigid branches, each branch detachably supporting blocks and each blockapart from all others, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of marked blocks constituting a puzzle and a holderhaving a main SAMUEL STERNE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM REvELs, W. N. MAOBETH.

